意思
To think extremely hard to find a solution or recall something.
文化背景
The phrase is often used in 'K-Dramas' during scenes where characters are preparing for the Suneung (CSAT), the high-stakes national university entrance exam. In Korean office culture, showing that you are 'squeezing your head' is a sign of loyalty and hard work. It's often better to say you struggled to find an answer than to say it was easy. Poets and writers in Korea frequently use this term to describe 'Sang-go' (the pains of childbirth), comparing the creation of a poem to the physical pain of squeezing the brain. On Korean variety shows like 'Problematic Men' (문제적 남자), celebrities are often shown in 'thinking poses' with captions using this idiom to highlight the difficulty of the puzzles.
Use it to show effort
If you want to impress a Korean teacher or boss with how hard you worked, use this phrase instead of just saying 'I thought about it.'
Don't use for physical pain
If your head actually hurts, say '머리가 아파요.' Using '머리를 쥐어짜다' will make people think you are working on a puzzle.
意思
To think extremely hard to find a solution or recall something.
Use it to show effort
If you want to impress a Korean teacher or boss with how hard you worked, use this phrase instead of just saying 'I thought about it.'
Don't use for physical pain
If your head actually hurts, say '머리가 아파요.' Using '머리를 쥐어짜다' will make people think you are working on a puzzle.
Combine with '아무리'
It sounds very natural when used with '아무리' (no matter how much): '아무리 머리를 쥐어짜도...'
自我测试
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the idiom.
시험 문제가 너무 어려워서 1시간 동안 머리를 ( ).
The context of a 'difficult exam' and '1 hour' implies intense effort, which fits '쥐어짰어요'.
Which situation is MOST appropriate for '머리를 쥐어짜다'?
다음 중 이 표현을 쓰기에 가장 좋은 상황은?
The idiom requires a situation of mental struggle and effort.
Complete the dialogue.
가: 어제 숙제 다 했어? 나: 아니, 밤새 ( ) 봤는데 아직 못 끝냈어.
The structure '-아/어 보다' (to try doing) requires the infinitive form '쥐어짜'.
Match the idiom to the correct nuance.
Match '머리를 쥐어짜다' and '머리를 굴리다' to their meanings.
쥐어짜다 is about effort/struggle, while 굴리다 is about being clever or calculating.
🎉 得分： /4
视觉学习工具
Squeezing vs. Rolling
练习题库
4 练习시험 문제가 너무 어려워서 1시간 동안 머리를 ( ).
The context of a 'difficult exam' and '1 hour' implies intense effort, which fits '쥐어짰어요'.
다음 중 이 표현을 쓰기에 가장 좋은 상황은?
The idiom requires a situation of mental struggle and effort.
가: 어제 숙제 다 했어? 나: 아니, 밤새 ( ) 봤는데 아직 못 끝냈어.
The structure '-아/어 보다' (to try doing) requires the infinitive form '쥐어짜'.
Match '머리를 쥐어짜다' and '머리를 굴리다' to their meanings.
쥐어짜다 is about effort/struggle, while 굴리다 is about being clever or calculating.
🎉 得分： /4
常见问题
10 个问题No, it is a neutral idiom. You can use it with friends, teachers, or colleagues.
Yes, it works for both trying to recall a memory and trying to come up with a new idea.
'머리를 쓰다' is general (to use one's brain). '머리를 쥐어짜다' is specific to intense, difficult effort.
It is possible and used sometimes in slang or medical contexts, but '머리' is much more common and natural.
The idiom itself is neutral. To make it formal, just change the ending: '머리를 쥐어짜고 있습니다.'
Not necessarily. It only describes the *effort*. You often follow it with '결국 해냈어요' (finally did it) or '소용없었어요' (it was no use).
Yes. '그는 머리를 쥐어짜고 있다' (He is racking his brain).
Very often! Especially during brainstorming sessions or when facing a crisis.
'쥐다' means to grasp or hold. '쥐어짜다' means to grasp and wring.
Yes, it's one of the most common ways students describe their experience during a hard test.
相关表达
머리를 굴리다
similarTo roll one's head (to think quickly or cleverly).
생각을 짜내다
synonymTo squeeze out a thought.
골머리를 앓다
builds onTo suffer from a brain-ache (to be deeply troubled by a problem).
머리를 맞대다
similarTo put heads together.
